01/15/2026
Debunking Seven Myths About Finding Your “Purpose”
Caren Stewart, IPPW
Traditionally, January has been the time of year when we take stock of our health and well-being and make decisions to do things differently in the new year. It’s the time to set (often unattainable) goals based on areas of our lives that we feel unhappy with or would like to change. You may not know this, but January is also National Be on Purpose Month. So rather than talking about setting New Year’s resolutions, which can sometimes result in “goal collapse,” (the setting of unrealistic goals, which leads to the inability to sustain them, followed by feelings that we’ve let ourselves down) I thought it might be more helpful to write about finding a sense of purpose by dispelling some of the myths around this often confusing concept.
First, what do we mean when we say “purpose,” and why is it important? When we talk about purpose, we are talking about having a sense of direction, that our values, interests, and passions are in alignment, that what we are doing has meaning and value, or that we are contributing to the greater good in some way. But also, feeling a sense of purpose can look very different for each of us. Because of this, it might be worth looking at the idea of purpose and what it means for you.
Feeling a sense of purpose is important because it is the reason for doing anything. Without purpose, we lack drive, motivation, and ultimately life satisfaction. It may also lead to feelings of confusion about the meaning of life and could eventually affect our mental well-being.
Here are seven common myths about purpose:
1. I only have one purpose.
Not true! We have lots of different purposes in life related to all the different roles and responsibilities we have. For instance, when we go into a meeting, we have a purpose-even if it’s simply to make it through the meeting without falling asleep! We feel purpose in work, parenting, friendships, spirituality, etc. And this purpose may look very different depending on the expectations of the situation.
2. I have no clue what my purpose is.
On some level, you absolutely do know what your purpose is. Look at how you spend your time and what makes you come alive. Is it working in the garden? Building things? Problem-solving? Teaching your kids? The feeling of purpose can be seen in the values we have and how we express them in our lives.
3. If I don’t find my purpose, I will feel unfulfilled.
This topic is tricky ground, and it ties into the idea that we have only ONE purpose, and we have to find that ONE purpose, or we are not fulfilling it. If you look back on your day, I am certain you will find those small moments when you did feel that your life had meaning and purpose. This morning, I looked at an amazing sunrise and knew in that moment that my purpose was to appreciate the beauty that was being expressed in the world. I also had to stop at the post office to mail my son’s medication that he forgot when he went back to college. That’s two purposes before 0830!
4. My purpose must be important!
Please see above 😊 And also, this is an awful lot of pressure to put on yourself. When we practice presence by living in the moment, rather than focusing on the future and all the things we feel we should be accomplishing, the present moment becomes all there is. This can be a deeply satisfying way to live.
5. Whatever my purpose is, I must do that for my career.
How many people do you know who do their day job and then go home and build things in their shop, create a beautiful meal for their family, restore an old vehicle, bake amazing bread, write in their journal, read a book and pass the information on to co-workers, or any of the other hundreds of activities we engage in on a daily basis. When we do these things, we identify our values and can use them to find meaning in what we’re doing. Once we’ve identified these values, we can find ways to also express them in our day job. It may not look like writing in your journal, but it may look like writing an article for the TAG Line!
6. I don’t have any say in what my purpose is--it was chosen for me by my family, school, community, etc.
Even if this were true, and we had absolutely no say in what our purpose was, we can choose to focus on our perspective of what we are doing, and practice appreciation and gratitude for the times when we are feeling in alignment with our values.
7. Feeling a sense of purpose has nothing to do with my spiritual readiness.
Purpose is deeply tied into our spiritual readiness. Having a belief in a higher power and feeling there is a bigger plan for us can give our lives meaning. Allowing something greater that ourselves to help guide us can help our feeling of purpose to unfold naturally. Also, knowing we are not alone, that we belong, inspires us to care about our fellow humans and their well-being.
If finding a sense of purpose is not something you struggle with, or if you don’t find value in setting intentions, the start of a new year can simply be an ideal time to think of the year ahead and how you might do a mental health reset by recommitting to your mental, physical, and spiritual health!
